In Bruins' first significant injury of the season, the F-back is injured while running a deep pass route in practice and could be out weeks.

UCLA had its first significant injury of the season, as F-back Damien Thigpen suffered a pulled hamstring Wednesday.

Thigpen was injured while running a deep pass route. Coach Rick Neuheisel was unsure how long he would be out, though it could be weeks.

The injury leaves Anthony Barr as the team's only F-back in the "pistol" offense. Neuheisel wasn't ready to shuffle players around to shore up the position just yet.

"We've got a lot of skilled athletes, so we'll figure out how to go about it," Neuheisel said. "Hopefully, we'll get some good news and Damien won't be gone long."

Thigpen suffered a broken collarbone last season and was slowed during spring practice by a hamstring injury.

Guard Casey Griffiths sat out practice because of a sore hamstring.

UCLA suffered through a rash of injuries last season, including those of quarterback Kevin Prince, linebacker Patrick Larimore, center Kai Maiava and defensive end Datone Jones.

Hardly a snap

Greg Capella's move from center to guard gives him a shot at starting.

"It takes a little getting used to, putting my hand back on the ground," Capella said. "I have to do a little more pulling and more one-on-one blocking. But I feel like this is my best chance to win a job since I came here."

But the move also demonstrated how thin the Bruins are behind Maiava. Freshman Jake Brendel, just in from Plano (Texas) East High, was Maiava's backup Wednesday.

A number of bad snaps in the pistol offense's mini-shotgun slowed the pace during practice.

"You can't play football that way," Neuheisel said. "We have to be able to complete a four-yard pass."